Authorities confirmed Wednesday morning that a small plane carrying three people crashed into the summit of a secluded mountain in southern Vermont. The Piper PA-28 crashed around 3:50 am near the 3,000-foot summit of Equinox Mountain, just west of Manchester, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Jamie Greene, the first assistant chief of the Manchester Fire Department, stated that the snow helped cushion the fall but also made the rescue effort difficult, with snow up to four feet deep. At 8:33 a.m., the pilot reported the crash to 911, noting that all three passengers had non-life-threatening injuries. The reason for the delay in the call remains unclear.

First responders located the aircraft at 10:16 a.m. and requested assistance from New York State Police. A helicopter from New York State Police airlifted the passengers to safety.